Patrick has always been popular with kids, especially young girls who look to her as a role model. The 31-year-old Patrick (she turned 31 on Monday) has the highest finish of any woman in the Indianapolis 500 (third) and is the only woman ever to win a pole for a NASCASR Cup race. She won the pole for the 2013 Daytona 500 and placed eighth for the highest finish for a woman ever in NASCAR’s biggest event.

“This is a huge award for me,” Patrick said in accepting the award, which she has won three times. “Kids mean so much. When I meet you, when I see you at the racetrack and you cheer for me, it means more than anything else.

“It’s a huge honor next to obviously all the other girls in this category. They all kick butt.”